


come live (by my side)

by nezstorm



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Morgan Deserves Happiness, Arthur Morgan Lives, First Kiss, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 14:19:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17644415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nezstorm/pseuds/nezstorm
Summary: It’s Charles who finds him two days later, as he sits in an exhausted heap near the Moonstone Pond. The only surprise, Arthur thinks as he watches the man approach, is that Arthur is still very stubbornly not dead.





	come live (by my side)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [no expectations](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17603723) by [nezstorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nezstorm/pseuds/nezstorm). 



> a sort of follow up to _no expectations_
> 
> i haven't slept properly in three days, so, sorry for the mistakes. (also english ain't my first language, jsyk)

It’s Charles who finds him two days later, as he sits in an exhausted heap near the Moonstone Pond. The only surprise, Arthur thinks as he watches the man approach, is that Arthur is still very stubbornly not dead.

 

He’s seen the sun set and rise, but all he feels is detached, like the world went on without him. As if most of him was left at the mountain still, where his corpse should lie.

 

Hell, for all he knew his body might be already rotting there, half-eaten by crows and coyotes.

 

And yet, somehow, Charles is here, looming over him with a complicated expression on his face. Arthur doesn’t have the energy to parse it out, he hasn't eaten in god knows how long, hasn't slept since he woke up alive on the mountain in fear that this was the last chance he had.

 

He might not be sure he isn’t quite dead, but that doesn’t mean he wanted to die either.

 

But here is Charles, crouching right in front of Arthur, reaching out to him slowly as if he himself isn’t sure that Arthur is actually there.

 

"Y' found me," Arthur says, throat raw and parched. He only had a little to drink once he reached the pond before he got lost in his head. It must have been hours since then.

 

"I did," Charles replies, softly, an edge to his voice, but he seems to unwind a fraction once his hand touches Arthur's face, "Although I wasn't quite sure what it would be that I'd find."

 

"I was supposed to die," Arthur tells him bluntly because he'd been ready to meet his maker, as much as a man could be. He said his goodbyes, after all, not only to people, but also to the opportunities he never took.

 

One of them crouching in front of him now, touching his face as if he’ll disappear to a gust of wind, looking at him like... Well, like he'd died and lived again.

 

"You didn't," Charles says with conviction, firm, but that something still there in his voice, like he’s choking back words. He’s kneeling now, leaning in until his forehead pressed against Arthur's.

 

Arthur didn't realize how cold he'd been until now, with Charles' warmth seeping into his skin. He doesn’t realize he’s clutching his hands in Charles' shirt until he tries to wrap an arm around the man's shoulder and his fingers hurt from how hard he was holding onto him.

 

"I didn't," Arthur repeats, feeling something crack open inside of him, like hot coal pressed to his chest, "Because you found me."

 

He can feel the way Charles stops breathing for a moment then, with how close they are pressed together. The same as he can feel his answer as the words ghost over his lips, just before they kiss.

 

"I always will."


End file.
